Tokyo Aquarium Shows Off Ocellated Ice Fish That Has Clear Blood and No Scales

Researchers at the Tokyo Sea Life Park in Japan have captured a fish with no scales and completely clear blood, Agence France-Presse reports. The Ocellated Ice Fish’s blood is clear because it has no hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen around the body, makes blood red, and is found in every other animal that has bones. Researchers suspect the fish can live without hemoglobin because it has a large heart and uses blood plasma rather than hemoglobin to circulate oxygen throughout its body. The fish may also be able to absorb oxygen from its native waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Researchers at the Tokyo Sea Life Park have captured a male and female of the species, and intend to study the unique fish in more detail.